01-23-2020, 06:30 PMSlashACM Wrote:

01-23-2020, 06:26 PMJNH Wrote: I mean, what else would he do with the TPE though?  I get your point and I'm sure it would look less fishy but it's weird to expect someone not to apply TPE they fairly earned (and given they didn't know of each other before January, it's unlikely that there was some long term plan). 


That screenshot did look a little suspicious to me at first, but having seen the context (in ANA's appeal and maybe elsewhere? I can't remember rn) that it was in the course of trade talks to STL and Donini just asking if he would be active if he was on ANA, I don't think that fits the definition of tampering.  While GM's have to be extremely careful when talking to players whose rights are owned by another team, I don't believe this infringes into that territory.  Tampering is inducing/attempting to induce a player under contract with another team to join your team.  While Donini did talk to him, I'd hardly call asking if he would be active to be "inducing a player" to come join your team.

STL was never contacted about a trade so either they never planned on it or that plan went out the window quickly. I'm under the assumption that they agreed he would sign with anaheim after STL inevitably dropped him, which is why donini was confused when edm signed him and then he told Alex to reject the Edmonton contract. This part is mostly speculation but it lines up and I think the burden is now on donini to prove his talks were ONLY about trade

Ah okay, I misunderstood that part but I think we're in agreement here. If Donini can prove that they only talked about trade then I think it's fair game for the tampering charge (and goes to my point in Donini's thread that it's only an illegal signing).